Jammu, Oct 30: Failure of the state government to publicise the opening of prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) – which has started its first academic session from August this year – in Jammu has virtually failed to benefit the students community in Jammu and Kashmir.
 As per the official sources the institute started functioning in a rented accommodation at Vikas Bhawan at Rail Head Complex Bahu Plaza from August this year but no state level test for the JK residents was conducted. Instead the test was conducted at All India Level and only one out of the six candidates, presently undergoing Bachelor course in journalism belong to the state.
 “In the opening session for Post Graduate Diploma Course in English Journalism, only 6 seats out of total 15, were filled up due to the poor response from the candidates”, sources said, adding that the first session would conclude by April 2013.
 Student community attributed lack of awareness and publicity by the state government and the institute management for poor response in the opening session.
 Dejected over lack of information about IIMC, an ambitious post graduate student of Jammu University, Vishal Kumar, who wanted to pursue Journalism, said that there was no journalism institute in Jammu so the branch of IIMC was a good option for Jammuites.
  “Presently I am pursuing post graduation in political science, but next time I will take test and if will selected, I will leave my PG and go for journalism”, he said. Like Vishal, majority of students of Jammu University and Jammu region were unaware about the face that IIMC has started functioning in the state.
 Officer on Special Duty (SOD) Manohar Khajuria with the institute however said that the test were conducted as per the procedure. “The test for admission was conducted by IIMC Delhi in April last year and only six candidates were selected for Jammu branch”.
 The institute is yet to have its own infrastructure in the state as a result of which it is paying Rs. 75000 rent per month, sources said adding that for the establishment of a regional branch of IIMC in the state, around 88 Kanals of land has been identified at Keran, Bantalab area in Jammu.
 The IIMC had approved four new regional centers in Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Mizoram and Maharashtra. The Institute presently has branches in New Delhi and Dhenkanal in Orissa.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 30 Oct 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 30 Oct 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:00:00 IST